[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 75 (Tuesday, June 13, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S5775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF CHELSEA, SOUTH DAKOTA

 Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the 100th 
anniversary of the founding of the town of Chelsea, SD. Chelsea is a 
rural community in Faulk County. Small towns like Chelsea are part of 
the backbone of our wonderful State.
  Chelsea originally began in the middle of a wheat field, where 
extensions of the Minneapolis and St. Louis railways met. There are 
competing stories for how the town was named. One says that Chelsea was 
named after the borough of London, one that it was named for a 
landowner in Chelsea, OK, and another that says it was named for 
someone from Chelsea, MA.
  The first building to go up in Chelsea was two-story poolhall and 
saloon, built by H.E. Batteen. Other businesses soon followed. By 1909, 
there were 30 businesses in Chelsea, including a post office, weekly 
paper, bank, butcher, lumber yard, and drug store. There were at least 
three churches, including the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, which is 
still active today.
  The area in which Chelsea is situated has both fertile farmland and 
excellent fishing and hunting. In particular, the area is known for its 
great pheasant shooting and the numerous hunting lodges that dot the 
landscape around Chelsea.
  Small communities such as Chelsea do not always get the attention 
that they deserve, but it is places like Chelsea that help to maintain 
South Dakota's agricultural roots and deep-seated character. I am proud 
to honor Chelsea on its 100th anniversary, and I am confident that the 
next 100 years will bring still more progress and prosperity.

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